‘I am, a new life is a wonderful thing and, let’s face it, you’ve had a good run.’

‘Thanks,’ she said, knowing that was the best her mother could offer her. Rabbit, behind all the misery, Vera’s thrilled. I miss ya, Baldy.

What started out as a house-hunt for two ended up being for four. Marjorie put her flat up for sale despite Davey’s protestations. He could afford a house without her but if she was in she was all in. He understood. Juliet was not so amenable.

‘So now she’s living with us? Are you for real?’ Juliet said, right in front of Marjorie’s face.

‘Whoa, who’s this “she”? This is Marjorie we’re talking about,’ Davey said.

Juliet just walked out of the room. He couldn’t work out what was wrong with her. ‘I’ve explained everything, ten times over. She knows I love her more than life. She knows we’re a family.’ He tried and Marjorie tried; Molly tried; Grace tried; Jack tried; even Francie and Jay had tried. She slammed her bedroom door on all of them.

The twins turned to Marjorie and the assembled Hayeses, who were hoping that if anyone could reach her it would be one of the Byrne brothers.

‘She’s a hard nut to crack,’ Jay said.

‘Just like her ma,’ Francie said.

‘She’ll find her way back to us in her own time,’ Molly said, and she patted Marjorie’s shoulder. ‘You’ve done nothing wrong.’

Marjorie understood. ‘It’s a lot of change, Davey, it’s hard for me to keep up, never mind Juliet.’

She empathised with Juliet and was determined to get through to her, but the child that had once been her friend now seemed hell-bent on being enemies. I don’t know what to do, Rabbit. How do I fix it? What would you do?

I’d hang in there, Marj.